The invention relates to medicine, more specifically to treatment of speech disorders, e.g. various forms of dysarthria.
Defects of pronunciation in case of dysarthria are due to the organically insufficient innervation of organs of speech most frequently as a result of paresis and the muscular paralysis of articulation organs. Characteristic for dysarthria is a limited mobility of speech organs: the soft palate, tongue and lips because of affection of muscles.
Very popular in practical medicine are methods for normalising a patient""s speech, which include the preliminary examination of the patient and the subsequent mimic muscle gymnastics, teaching the patient how to pronounce syllables using pedagogic methods and also elements of breathing exercises (cf. The book by F. A. Rau et al. xe2x80x9cMethods of teaching deaf-mutes to pronouncexe2x80x9d, 1948, Uchpedgiz, Moscow, page 178).
Known in the art is a device for a mechanical effect exerted on the tongue in training and correcting the pronunciation of certain sounds of speech in the case of some forms of speech disorders, which comprises a handgripportion and a working member. This device (logopedics probe) performs the function of an auxilary technical means in some cases to assimilate articulation required and does not contribute to normalizing the muscle tone. The use of logopedics probes leads to a quick fatigue of speech therapeutist""s hands because of the inconvenient use of probes (when placed in the patient""s mouth) in consequence of a change in the structure of petient""s articulation organs and requires the speech therapeutist""s great efforts. Besides, the logopedics probes are mainly used in training sounds to adjust vocal organs in a position of pronunciation in case of tongue-tie, lateral and sibilant sigmatisms, dental and interdental sigmatisms and also when working with deaf-mutes (cf. Defectologicheskii Slovar, 1970, Pedagogika Publishers, Moscow, page 122).
Known is a kit of the type used for exerting a reflex action on points and regions in case of affected supporting-motorial organs, bronchial asthma, neuralgias, joint formations, which comprises a casing accommodating at least three probes whose operating parts are embodied in the form of streamline mushroom elements and a tapering rod. This kit does not enable one to perform point action on the biologically active points of the articulation organs and to achieve a desired effect when exerting action on the biologically active points of the face, arms and the cervical-collar region, which is necessary to realize modem speech therapy methods (cf. RU 2034528, 1995).
As can really be seen from the afore-said, persons skilled in the art possess a small number of steps for correcting speech defects, directed, as a rule, to correcting pronunciation and speech breath.
Also, speech therapy resides in narrow training exercises to be done along with the other medical procedures.
At the same time, conventional methods for removing speech defects cannot satisfy needs of medicine in full, because these do not possess a required complex of properties to enhance the efficiency of tretment.
It is the principal object of the present invention to provide an integrated approach to the problem of restoring speech functions in patients suffering from various forms of dysarthria.
The integrated approach consists in working out a method of restoring speech functions in patients with such disturbances and in developing a kit of dysarthria probes enabling one to perform the point massage of biologically active points whose configuration of operating members is varied in relation to the patient""s clinical profile. The task set is solved owing to the fact that the muscle tone of articulation organs is normalized through the all-out method of restoring the speech functions of articulation organs, with the use of probes for the point massage of biologically active points, action on which, according to a certain diagram, results in stimulating the nervous ends and muscles associated with biologically active points. Stimulation is attained by pressing, pricking (to cause or to restore sensitivity that is lowered or absent in patients) and stroking actions to be advantageously exerted by different probes. Action is made by retarding or an exciting method. The configuration of the operating members of probes is varied and dictated by the demands of effects exerted by the speech therapeutist, which are established in relation to the clinical profile by the speech therapeutist himself.
The probes are made of various materials having good conductive and electromagnetic propertiesxe2x80x94ebonite, titanium, stainless steel, copper and can, for example, be made from plastic material, glass, rock crystal. In case of retardation action it is advisable to use ebonite probes and metallic onesxe2x80x94in excitation. All the probes have well polished surfaces.